Surprisingly dramatic., January 21, 1998

I thought this would just be another submarine combat story, it was not. When I look back on it, the plot sounds boring and overly technical, the recovery of a sunken US Navy submarine in the late 1920s after it is hit by a larger ship, but I found the tail surprisingly dramatic and engaging.

The story is really about the bravery, leadership and innovation of the men that were able to do something that had never been done before. A glossary helps with the technical jargon.

Anyone with military experience, is a diver, enjoys/studies submarines or wants to read about brave men and how to lead them, Edward Ellsberg's book is a great case study and quick read (one night). Life threatening risks for people in the military do not always entail combat.

I wrote the review above five years ago. I just reread the book and still think this is one of the best. Since nobody has made this into a movie or reprinted it yet, it was available free online electronically in text editor format. If I was teaching a graduate course on leadership it would be required reading.

Who thought deep sea salvage could be exciting? I have to say Edward Ellsberg's "On The Bottom" is as gripping and suspenseful today as it must have been when it was originially released in 1928.

This is the story of the sinking of the submarine S-51 and the subsequent salvage recovery. Ellsworth does an excellent job of walking the reader through the 1920's technology used to do the job: the tools, the limitations, the hardships; and how these brave Navy divers risked their lives to get the job done. There were many times while reading the book that I could feel the frustration these guys were going through completing tasks that would seem simple by todays standards. But since we're dealing with technology from the '20's, the simple act of cutting a cable with a prototype underwater tourch was an ordeal.

Clive Cussler must have read this as a child, as the senarios these divers went through mirror a Dirk Pitt adventure. Yet, in my opinion, Ellsworth's novel reads so much better than a Cussler novel!

Get this book back in print -- it is truly one of those forgotten gems that deserves to be discovered by a new generation of readers.

Commander Edward Ellsberg USN was responsible for the salvage of S-51, a United States submarine sunk in a collision with a freighter off the Atlantic coast in September, 1925. Only 3 of the crew survived and the sub lay in 132 feet of water. The Navy dispached Ellsberg and an assemblage of "hard-hat" divers to raise the sub. Nothing like this had ever been attempted before and the combination of courage, ingenuity and dogged determination required make this exciting reading. The sense of fear is palpable as he writes of having to operate in the cold darkness of the interior of the sub. Living with the constant risk of the bends, the limitations of the heavy diving aparatus with its life-line, airhose, and lead shoes, these men fought with the sea and won. Originally published in 1928, and long out of print, Ellsberg's writing stands the test of time. While it is a work of non-fiction, "On The Bottom," will be interesting to the average reader of adventure novels, and it will be absolutely delicious to anyone with even a slight interest in sea-stories, diving, or submarines. Re-read many times, my copy of the 1928 edition is beginning to suffer, but my wonder at the content and enjoyment of the writing remain.

Mr. Ellsberg's accomplisments are hardly known outside a select group. Yet what he was able to do during the war impacted the entire war effort in that theater of operations. The techniques he used are still practiced today. The tone and view are from an officers perspective so if you want to learn about what it was like to be a diver I recommend "Descent into Darkness" by Raymer. Salvage Man shows the behind the scenes action that is often not known or completely misunderstood by those at the working level. As a working diver I could appreciate the size and scope of the tasks Mr. Ellsberg was expected to accomplish. In typical military or diving fashion, he was not given the people or equipment that would have been expected. This book is great for sharpening your skills if you are a diver or supervisor who would like to see other ways of getting things done.

Edward Ellsberg (1891-1983) was a brilliant marine engineer who developed salvage techniques still in use today. His work often saved the hides of the senior navy brass who frequently caused the situations Ellsberg fixed. His raising of two sunken submarines in the 1920's led to public recognition and special promotion by act of Congress. During WWII his work played an immense role in furthering the Allied war effort. His name deserves to be remembered as that of a truly great American who strove to do his best in any situation and who placed excellence above personal gain. I enjoyed this work after having grown up reading Ellsberg's own books. Alden has done an outstanding job of which Ellsberg would be proud.

Admiral Ellsburg was a great American. He was intelligent beyond books. He figured out methods for how to do things that we still use today. It is truely fascinating to learn about this man who did so much for his country.

A fantastic reprint of one of the all time classics of the sea. The introduction by Captain Ned Beach is a wonderful tribute to Admiral Edward Ellsberg and the book includes a CD recording of the 1925 hit song "The Sinking of Submarine S-51," and a DVD of period newsreel footage. It's a must for any naval history buff!

As another reviewer said, "hard to put down". At every turn Cmdr. Ellsberg is told "It can't be done", ranging from Ever to In Six Months.

Fascinating chapter on raising two drydocks (that were labelled unsalvageable) in a matter of days. Same with a floating crane that an English "expert" had thoroughly trashed. Where and how he scrounges up "pontoons" for the job is a howl.

Gut-gripping chapter on raising a wreck only to have the pumps fail mysteriously. A last-minute efforts works just before the ship would have capsized.

Excellent chapter on getting a ruined machine shop complex (key parts smashed/missing)working in days.

Another one on a ingenious solution to a labor problem - getting the "useless" Eritrean laborers to exert Herculean efforts.

And another on Cmdr. Ellsberg's solution in putting a 600' foot long ship in a 400' long drydock. Another job that "couldn't be done".

Great examples of the American "Shadetree Mechanic" besting all the experts. All this done in 120 deg. weather with 100% humidity, not to mention turf wars with American contractors and bureaucratic red tape.

Edward Ellsgerg writes this captivating tale of trials and tribulations durring world war II. He has been told he has to open the most valuable port on the red sea and get it working again. The problem is the bay is filled with a sunken Italian fleet, the shops on shore are a wreck, housing is imposible, and finding matrials too work with and the people to help him is imposible. He tell how he worked one miricle after anouther. Very interesting and a hard book to stop reading once you have started.

This book describes the salvage work in the Massawa harbor in Eritrea. This is a professional description of determined people in a hard climate area , that their goal was to bring back the Massawa harbor into full operation for the allies. This is not an heroic war description with high strategy. This is the story of people. As a son of a Jewish Royal-Navy Officer volunteer from Palestine during the British mandate in Israel , I am familiar with this story. My father served there during 1942-1943. All the knowledge from his service was used by him to built the Young Israeli Navy in 1948. His experience from the service in the Royal Navy was used by him to define the Israeli Navy Salvage unit YALTAM. The Palestinians Jewish Volunteers in Masswa were very appreciated by the British and the Americans for their contribution in the war efforts against the evil Natzy regime. My father rank in the Israeli Navy was Lieutenant Commander. Discharged in 1962. His profession is Naval Architect. In 1969 he designed the fueling ship and the fueling operation of the Missile Boats in the Biskya bay .These boats were taken from the French by force. This operation was during the French embargo and is known as the Cherbourg Operation. If any one is doing an history research on the Masswa Volunteers to the Royal-Navy from Israel (RNVR) , or the Israeli Navy at the beginning send me an Email to Avi-Brillant Email address : optomic@trendline.co.il